Determining status of building modifications using informatics sensor data

ABSTRACT

A computer device and method for processing data to detect modifications to insured property. Received is specification data regarding modifications to be made to insured property in connection with an insurance claim. Also received is data from one or more sensor devices associated with the insured property indicative of a status regarding modifications made to the insured property. Analysis is performed on the received specification and data to determine whether one or more predefined conditions for the insurance claim is satisfied regarding the modifications to be made to the insured property.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/715,980 filed Dec. 16, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/273,918 filed May 9, 2014; 61/926,093 filed Jan.10, 2014; 61/926,091 filed Jan. 10, 2014; 61/926,095 filed Jan. 10,2014; 61/926,098 filed Jan. 10, 2014; 61/926,103 filed Jan. 10, 2014;61/926,108 filed Jan. 10, 2014; 61/926,111 filed Jan. 10, 2014;61/926,114 filed Jan. 10, 2014; 61/926,118 filed Jan. 10, 2014;61/926,119 filed Jan. 10, 2014; 61/926,121 filed Jan. 10, 2014;61/926,123 filed Jan. 10, 2014; 61/926,536 filed Jan. 13, 2014;61/926,541 filed Jan. 13, 2014; 61/926,534 filed Jan. 13, 2014;61/926,532 filed Jan. 13, 2014; 61/943,897 filed Feb. 24, 2014;61/943,901 filed Feb. 24, 2014; 61/943,906 filed Feb. 24, 2014; and61/948,192 filed Mar. 5, 2014 which are each incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to a method and computerizedsystem for managing insurance and related products and services, andmore particularly, to determining the status of modifications to abuilding or other structure using informatics sensor data.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Smart home functionality is a maturing space, but the opportunity forinsurance companies remains largely untapped. Currently, there are fewuseful early warning and loss mitigation systems that actually savecosts and time for both the property owner and insurance company alike.For instance, currently, homeowners insurance claim events are detectedby the homeowner, who then contacts their insurance company to informthem that there has been a loss. However, the loss could be mitigatedwith automated warning and detection systems that interface with theinsurance company systems. For example, homeowners may not become awareof various issues/damage resulting from home repairs/remodeling untilsuch time as those issues lead to further damage. If they could be madeaware of such loss events earlier and then take corrective actions, thenthe increased damage or loss could have been mitigated or avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose and advantages of the below described illustratedembodiments will be set forth in and apparent from the description thatfollows. Additional advantages of the illustrated embodiments will berealized and attained by the devices, systems and methods particularlypointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well asfrom the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposeof the illustrated embodiments, in one aspect, provided is a computerdevice and method for processing data to detect modifications to abuilding or other structure preferably associated with an insuranceclaim. Received is specification data regarding modifications to be madeto a building or other structure in connection with an insurance claim.Also received is data from one or more sensor devices associated withthe insured property indicative of a status of modifications made to theproperty. Analysis is performed on the received specification and datato determine whether one or more predefined conditions for the insuranceclaim is satisfied regarding the modifications to be made to the insuredproperty.

In another aspect, a determination is performed regarding whetherrecoverable depreciation relating to an insurance claim can be providedto an insured based upon the performed analysis. In yet another aspect,data is received from the one or more sensor devices identifying one ormore conditions on the insured property not associated with themodifications to be made to the property in connection with theinsurance claim so as to determine one or more of: an underwritingdecision, pricing decision; a renewal or cancellation decision, aninsurance application decision, coverage amount, deductible, or otherterms or conditions of an insurance policy or other product.

This summary section is provided to introduce a selection of concepts ina simplified form that are further described subsequently in thedetailed description section. This summary section is not intended toidentify key features or essential features of the claimed subjectmatter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimedsubject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying appendices and/or drawings illustrate variousnon-limiting, example, inventive aspects in accordance with the presentdisclosure:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication network in accordance withan illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a network computer device/node in accordance with anillustrated embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a building or other structure from whichsensor data is captured for subsequent analysis in accordance with anillustrated embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of operational steps of the building or otherstructure analyzer module of FIG. 3 in accordance with an illustratedembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

The illustrated embodiments are now described more fully with referenceto the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals identifysimilar structural/functional features. The illustrated embodiments arenot limited in any way to what is illustrated as the illustratedembodiments described below are merely exemplary, which can be embodiedin various forms, as appreciated by one skilled in the art. Therefore,it is to be understood that any structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as abasis for the claims and as a representation for teaching one skilled inthe art to variously employ the discussed embodiments. Furthermore, theterms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but ratherto provide an understandable description of the illustrated embodiments.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also beused in the practice or testing of the illustrated embodiments,exemplary methods and materials are now described. All publicationsmentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to disclose anddescribe the methods and/or materials in connection with which thepublications are cited.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, thesingular forms “a”, “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “astimulus” includes a plurality of such stimuli and reference to “thesignal” includes reference to one or more signals and equivalentsthereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

It is to be appreciated the illustrated embodiments discussed below arepreferably a software algorithm, program or code residing on computeruseable medium having control logic for enabling execution on a machinehaving a computer processor. The machine typically includes memorystorage configured to provide output from execution of the computeralgorithm or program.

As used herein, the term “software” is meant to be synonymous with anycode or program that can be in a processor of a host computer,regardless of whether the implementation is in hardware, firmware or asa software computer product available on a disc, a memory storagedevice, or for download from a remote machine. The embodiments describedherein include such software to implement the equations, relationshipsand algorithms described above. One skilled in the art will appreciatefurther features and advantages of the illustrated embodiments based onthe above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the illustratedembodiments are not to be limited by what has been particularly shownand described, except as indicated by the appended claims. Allpublications and references cited herein are expressly incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety. For instance, commonly assignedU.S. Pat. Nos. 8,289,160 and 8,400,299 are related to certainembodiments described here and are each incorporated herein by referencein their entirety.

As used herein, the term “insurance” refers to a contract between aninsurer, also known as an insurance company, and an insured, also knownas a policyholder, in which the insurer agrees to indemnify the insuredfor specified losses, costs, or damage on specified terms and conditionsin exchange of a certain premium amount paid by the insured. In atypical situation, when the insured suffers some loss for which he/shemay have insurance the insured makes an insurance claim to requestpayment for the loss. It is to be appreciated for the purpose of theembodiments illustrated herein, the insurance policy is not to beunderstood to be limited to a residential or homeowners insurancepolicy, but can be for a commercial, umbrella, and other insurancepolicies known by those skilled in the art.

As used herein, “insured property” means a dwelling, other buildings orstructures, personal property, or business property that may be coveredby an insurance policy.

As used herein, “modification related data” means data or informationrelating to repairs, additions, remodeling, improvements, or otherchanges to insured property which may or may not be covered by aninsurance policy. Modification related data may or may not be relevantto an insurance claim or decisions about underwriting, pricing,coverage, or other terms or conditions under which an insurance companymay be willing to insure particular property, including buildings, otherstructures, and personal or business property.

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar referencecharacters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1depicts an exemplary communications network 100 in which belowillustrated embodiments may be implemented.

It is to be understood a communication network 100 is a geographicallydistributed collection of nodes interconnected by communication linksand segments for transporting data between end nodes, such as personalcomputers, work stations, smart phone devices, tablets, televisions,sensors and or other devices such as automobiles, etc. Many types ofnetworks are available, with the types ranging from local area networks(LANs) to wide area networks (WANs). LANs typically connect the nodesover dedicated private communications links located in the same generalphysical location, such as an insured property 300 or campus. WANs, onthe other hand, typically connect geographically dispersed nodes overlong-distance communications links, such as common carrier telephonelines, optical lightpaths, synchronous optical networks (SONET),synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) links, or Powerline Communications(PLC), and others.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an example communication network100 illustratively comprising nodes/devices 101-108 (e.g., sensors 102,client computing devices 103, smart phone devices 105, servers 106,routers 107, switches 108 and the like) interconnected by variousmethods of communication. For instance, the links 109 may be wired linksor may comprise a wireless communication medium, where certain nodes arein communication with other nodes, e.g., based on distance, signalstrength, current operational status, location, etc. Moreover, each ofthe devices can communicate data packets (or frames) 142 with otherdevices using predefined network communication protocols as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art, such as various wired protocolsand wireless protocols etc., where appropriate. In this context, aprotocol consists of a set of rules defining how the nodes interact witheach other. Those skilled in the art will understand that any number ofnodes, devices, links, etc. may be used in the computer network, andthat the view shown herein is for simplicity. Also, while theembodiments are shown herein with reference to a general network cloud,the description herein is not so limited, and may be applied to networksthat are hardwired.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storagemedium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a programfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an example network computingdevice 200 (e.g., one of network devices 101-108) that may be used (orcomponents thereof) with one or more embodiments described herein, e.g.,as one of the nodes shown in the network 100. As explained above, indifferent embodiments these various devices are configured tocommunicate with each other in any suitable way, such as, for example,via communication network 100.

Device 200 is only one example of a suitable system and is not intendedto suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality ofembodiments of the invention described herein. Regardless, computingdevice 200 is capable of being implemented and/or performing any of thefunctionality set forth herein.

Computing device 200 is operational with numerous other general purposeor special purpose computing system environments or configurations.Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and/orconfigurations that may be suitable for use with computing device 200include, but are not limited to, personal computer systems, servercomputer systems, thin clients, thick clients, hand-held or laptopdevices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set topboxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputersystems, mainframe computer systems, and distributed data processingenvironments that include any of the above systems or devices, and thelike.

Computing device 200 may be described in the general context of computersystem-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executedby a computer system. Generally, program modules may include routines,programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and so on thatperform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.Computing device 200 may be practiced in distributed data processingenvironments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices thatare linked through a communications network. In a distributed dataprocessing environment, program modules may be located in both local andremote computer system storage media including memory storage devices.

Device 200 is shown in FIG. 2 in the form of a general-purpose computingdevice. The components of device 200 may include, but are not limitedto, one or more processors or processing units 216, a system memory 228,and a bus 218 that couples various system components including systemmemory 228 to processor 216.

Bus 218 represents one or more of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

Computing device 200 typically includes a variety of computer systemreadable media. Such media may be any available media that is accessibleby device 200, and it includes both volatile and non-volatile media,removable and non-removable media.

System memory 228 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 230 and/or cachememory 232. Computing device 200 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 234 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 218 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 228 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 240, having a set (at least one) of program modules 215,such as insured property analyzer module 306 described below, may bestored in memory 228 by way of example, and not limitation, as well asan operating system, one or more application programs, other programmodules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one or moreapplication programs, other program modules, and program data or somecombination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 215 generally carry out the functionsand/or methodologies of embodiments of the invention as describedherein.

Device 200 may also communicate with one or more external devices 214such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 224, etc.; one or moredevices that enable a user to interact with computing device 200; and/orany devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enable computingdevice 200 to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Suchcommunication can occur via Input/Output (I/O) interfaces 222. Stillyet, device 200 can communicate with one or more networks such as alocal area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or apublic network (e.g., the Internet) via network adapter 220. Asdepicted, network adapter 220 communicates with the other components ofcomputing device 200 via bus 218. It should be understood that althoughnot shown, other hardware and/or software components could be used inconjunction with device 200. Examples, include, but are not limited to:microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external diskdrive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storagesystems, etc.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are intended to provide a brief, general description of anillustrative and/or suitable exemplary environment in which embodimentsof the below described present invention may be implemented. FIGS. 1 and2 are exemplary of a suitable environment and are not intended tosuggest any limitation as to the structure, scope of use, orfunctionality of an embodiment of the present invention. A particularenvironment should not be interpreted as having any dependency orrequirement relating to any one or combination of components illustratedin an exemplary operating environment. For example, in certaininstances, one or more elements of an environment may be deemed notnecessary and omitted. In other instances, one or more other elementsmay be deemed necessary and added.

With the exemplary communication network 100 (FIG. 1) and computingdevice 200 (FIG. 2) being generally shown and discussed above,description of certain illustrated embodiments of the present inventionwill now be provided. With reference now to FIG. 3, an example of aninsured property 300 is shown which is to be understood to be any typeof insured property structure (e.g., residential, commercial, retail,municipal, etc.) in which the capture and analysis of sensor data (102)is useful for the reasons at least described below. Insured property 300preferably includes a computing device 103 for capturing data from aplurality of sensors 102 which capture data regarding various aspects ofinsured property 300, as further described below. It is to be understoodinsured property computing device 103 may be located in any location,and its position is not limited to the example shown.

Computing device 103 is preferably configured and operational to receive(capture) data from various sensors 102 regarding certain aspects(including functional and operational) of insured property 300(described further below) and transmit that captured data to a remoteserver 106, via network 100. It is noted device 103 may performanalytics regarding the captured sensor data regarding insured property300 and/or the remote server 106, preferably located or controlled by aninsurance company/carrier, may perform such analytics, as also furtherdescribed below. It is also to be understood in other embodiments, datafrom sensors 102 may be transmitted directly to remote server 106, vianetwork 100, thus either obviating the need for insured propertycomputing device 103 or mitigating its functionality to capture all datafrom sensors 102. It is also to be understood remote server 106 may beconfigured to send command signals to the one or more sensor devices 102providing instructions regarding capture and transmission of certaininsured property data.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, insured property computingdevice 103 is shown coupled to various below described sensor types 102.Although various sensor types 102 are described below and shown in FIG.3, the sensor types described and shown herein are not intended to beexhaustive as embodiments of the present invention may encompass anytype of known or unknown sensor type which facilitates the purposes andobjectives of the certain illustrated embodiments described herein.Exemplary sensor types include (but are not limited to):

Temperature sensor—configured and operational to preferably detect thetemperature present at the insured property 300. For example, thetemperature may rise and fall with the change of seasons and/or the timeof day. A person may have a secondary home in a location thatexperiences low temperatures and is unoccupied for long stretches oftime. The heater may malfunction and the temperature present at theinsured property 300 may go below an acceptable level. The probes placedat various locations in and around the insured property 300 arepreferably connected to device 103 by wire, or by wireless technologycan send an alert to the person who owns the home or to the insurancecompany so that mitigation action can occur. Moreover, in the event of afire, the temperature present at the insured property 300 may risequickly—possibly to a level of extreme high heat. The temperature sensormay make use of probes placed at various locations in and around theinsured property 300, in order to collect a representative profile ofthe temperature present at the insured property 300. These probes may beconnected to device 103 by wire, or by a wireless technology. Forexample, if device 103 is positioned in the attic of the insuredproperty 300, the temperature may be higher than the general temperaturepresent in the insured property. Thus, probes placed at variouslocations (e.g., in the basement, on the various levels of a multi-levelinsured property 300, in different rooms that receive different amountsof sun, etc.), in order to obtain an accurate picture of the temperaturepresent at the insured property. Moreover, device 103 may record boththe indoor and outdoor temperature present at the insured property 300.For example, data about the indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature,and/or the differential between indoor and outdoor temperatures, may beused as part of some analysis model, and thus all of the differentvalues could be stored. Device 103 may store an abstract representationof temperature (e.g., the average indoor temperature, as collected atall of the probes), or may store each temperature reading individuallyso that the individual readings may be provided as input to an analysismodel. It is to be appreciated an insurance company can also use theinformation collected from device 103 to send to the homeowner targetedadvice on how to save energy based upon the temperature at the insuredproperty 300. For example, the energy sensor can determine that to hit atargeted energy use for the month the homeowner needs to set thetemperature in the home at a different level. These devices preferablywork together to save the homeowner electricity use.Humidity sensor—configured and operational to preferably detect thehumidity present at the insured property 300. Humidity sensor maycomprise the humidity-detection hardware, or may employ one or moreremote probes, which may be located inside and/or outside the insuredproperty 300. Humidity readings from one or more locations inside and/oroutside the insured property could thus be recorded by device 103. Anexample of this use of this sensor is that the humidity sensor 102 coulddetect that the humidity level in the home is over an acceptable rangeand send notice, either wired or wirelessly to device 103 so that thehomeowner or insurance company can take an action. A homeowner may ownan expensive art work or electronic equipment and need the humidity tostay at an acceptable range. The device 103 can determine that thehumidity is over an acceptable range and send an alert to the homeowneror insurance company so that corrective action can occur.Water Sensor(s)/Water pressure sensor(s)—configured and operational topreferably monitor water related conditions, including (but not limitedto): the detection of water and water pressure detection, for instancein the plumbing system (including sewer lines, water lines, HVAC system,appliances, automatic fire suppression system, sump pump, and lawnsprinkler system) in the insured property 300. With regards to a waterpressure sensor, it may have one or more probes attached to variouslocations of the insured property's 300 plumbing, and thus device 103may record the pressure present in the plumbing, and/or any changes inthat pressure. For example, plumbing systems may be designed towithstand a certain amount of pressure, and if the pressure rises abovethat amount, the plumbing system may be at risk for leaking, bursting,or other failure. An example of this is with a dishwasher. It could beknow that a model of a dishwasher at insured property 300 should have awater pressure of X. If the washing machine's water pressure is higheror lower than it is supposed to, device 103 will collect thisinformation and could send an alert to the homeowner or insurancecompany so that mitigation action can take place. Thus, device 103 mayrecord the water pressure (and water flow) that is present in theplumbing system at various points in time. An analysis model could usethe information about water pressure in various ways such as rating theinsurance, tracking water pressure, and/or providing advice andguidance.Water flow sensor—configured and operational to preferably monitor waterflow rate in the plumbing system (including sewer lines, water lines,HVAC system, appliances, automatic fire suppression system, sump pump,and lawn sprinkler system) in the insured property 300. Water flowsensor may have one or more probes attached to various locations of theinsured property's 300 plumbing, such as faucets, showerheads andappliances, and thus water flow sensor 103 may measure and/or record theamount of water flowing through the insured property's 300 water supplysystem. Thus, device 103 may record the water flow that is present inthe plumbing system at various points in time. An analysis model coulduse the information about water flow in various ways such as rating thehome insurance, tracking water consumption, or providing advice andguidance. The readings of the amount of water used at insured property300 can be used to analyze and forecast an expected water bill. This canalso be used for budgeting and finance management because a history ofwater usage at the insured property 300 or certain appliances can bemeasured and displayed to the homeowner or insurance company. Thesereadings and usage can be provided to the owner so that he can budget Xamount of money each month for the water bill. Also, the owner orinsurer can track water use and determine based upon the rate of energyconsumption that the owner is on a pace to use more or less water usethan is budgeted. If the owner is on pace to use more water than isbudgeted the insurance company can provide advice and guidance on howthe owner can reduce water use. If the owner is on pace to use lesswater than is budgeted the insurance company can help the owner ininsured property moving the unspent portion of the budget amount to asavings device like a CD or money market.Leak detection sensor—configured and operational to preferably monitorthe presence of leaks from gas and plumbing pipes both inside andoutside the walls of the insured property 300. The leak detection sensormay have one or more probes attached to various locations of the insuredproperty's 300 plumbing and piping (including sewer lines, water lines,HVAC system, appliances, automatic fire suppression system, sump pump,and lawn sprinkler system), and this device 103 may record the fact thatthere is a gas or water leak. An example of this is that a leakdetection sensor can be placed behind the washing machine. If the hosesthat connect the washing machine to the water line were to break theleak detection sensor would know that there was a water leak and notifythe insured and/or the insurance company. The insured can also giveprior authorization to the insurance company to act on their behalf tocorrect the water leak. For instance, call a plumber to turn off thewater at the street when the leak detector activates and the insureddoes not respond to the leak detection sensor after a certain period oftime. The leak detection sensors do not need to necessarily be placedaround the appliance or pipe that they are intended to check for leaks.For example, an insured could place a sensor on the main water line thatgoes into the insured property 300 and this sensor could know by changesin pressure, temperature, etc. that there is a later or gas leak in theinsured property 300—even if the leak was inside the walls and notviewable inside the home. An analysis model could use the informationabout how often the leak detection sensor alerts, whether the insureduses leak detection sensor(s), and where they are placed in variousways, such as rating the insurance, tracking water pressure, and/orproviding advice and guidance.Wind speed sensor—configured and operational to record the wind speedpresent at the insured property 300. For example, one or more windsensors may be placed outside the insured property 300, at the windspeed and/or direction may be recorded at various points in time. Device103 may record these wind speed and/or wind direction readings. The windspeed may be used by an analysis model for various purposes.Motion sensor-configured and operational to sense motion in the insuredproperty 300 to which device 300 is attached. Typically, insuredproperty's 300 do not move significantly, except in the event of acatastrophe. Motion sensor may indicate that the insured property 300 issliding down a hill (e.g., in the event of an extreme flood ormudslide), or is experiencing a measurable earthquake. A motion sensormay further include earth sensors for detecting sink holes and earthmovement. In addition, a motion sensor may be configured and operationalto sense the motion of objects within the insured property.Electrical system sensor/analyzer configured and operational to assessthe condition of the insured property's 300 electrical system. Forexample, potentiometers may be connected to various points in theinsured property's 300 electrical system to measure voltage. Readingsfrom the potentiometers could be used to determine if the voltage ispersistently too high, or too low, or if the voltage frequently dropsand/or spikes. Such conditions may suggest that the insured property 300is at risk for fire. Other types of electrical measurements could betaken, such as readings of current flowing through the electricalsystem. These readings could help determine if an appliance is at riskof failure and damage. For example, it could be known that a model ofwater heater at insured property 300 consumes X amount of electricity.If the water heater starts consuming more electricity than it issupposed to device 103 will collect this information and could send analert to the owner or insurance company so that mitigation action cantake place. Still other types of electrical measurements could bedetermined include how energy is used and at what times of day it isused, etc. The readings of the amount of energy used at insured property300 can be used to analyze and forecast an expected energy bill. Thiscan also be used for budgeting and finance management because a historyof energy usage at the insured property 300 or certain appliances can bemeasured and displayed to the owner or insurance company. These readingsand usage can be provided to the owner so that he can budget X amount ofmoney each month for the energy bill. Also, the owner or insurer cantrack energy use and determine based upon the rate of energy consumptionthat the owner is on a pace to use more or less energy use than isbudgeted. If the homeowner is on pace to use more energy than isbudgeted the insurance company can provide advice and guidance on howthe owner can reduce energy use. If the owner is on pace to use lessenergy than is budgeted the insurance company can help the owner inmaking decisions about moving the unspent portion of the budget amountto a savings device like a CD or money market. Any type of data aboutthe insured property's 300 electrical system could be captured by device103. An analysis model could use the information about electrical energyin various ways such as rating the home insurance, tracking energyconsumption, or providing advice and guidance.Positional sensor configured and operational to record the position ofdevice 103. For example, the positional sensor may be, or may comprise,a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, which may allow the positionof device 103 to be determined. Or, as another example, positionalsensor may use triangulation technology that communicates with fixedpoints (such as wireless communication towers) to determine itsposition. While an insured property 300 normally does not move,positional sensor may allow device 103 to be recovered in the event of acatastrophe. For example, if an insured property 300 explodes, or isotherwise catastrophically damaged, device 103 may be propelled to anunknown location. Positional sensor may indicate the geographical areaof an insured property 300 which an analysis model could use in variousways. Positional sensor may record the position of device 103, whichdevice 103 could communicate to an external source, thereby allowingdevice 103 to be found. Another example of positional sensors is for thelocation, number, and use of the 102 sensors. The insurance companycould provide different insurance rates or incentives based on where thesensors are placed in the insured property 300. The insurance companycould also use the location of the 102 sensors to provide advice andguidance about how to reduce the chance of a loss or reduce energy/wateruse.Structural sensor—configured and operational to preferably detectvarious structural conditions relating to insured property 300. Astructural sensor may comprise detection hardware, or may employ one ormore remote probes, which may be located inside and/or outside theinsured property 300. Conditions recorded by structural sensor mayinclude (but are not limited to) the condition of the wall structure,floor structure, ceiling structure and roof structure of insuredproperty 300, which may be achieved via: load bearing detectors;components which measure the slope of a floor/wall/ceiling; carpetconditions (e.g., via nano sensor) or any other components functional todetect such conditions. Structural readings from one or more locationsinside and/or outside the insured property 300 could thus be recorded bydevice 103 and used by an analysis model in various ways.Environmental Sensor—configured and operational to preferably detectvarious environmental conditions relating to insured property 300. Anenvironmental sensor may comprise detection hardware, or may employ oneor more remote probes, which may be located inside and/or outside theinsured property 300. Conditions recorded by an environmental sensor mayinclude (but are not limited to) the air quality present in insuredproperty 300, the presence of mold/bacteria/algae/lead paint or anycontaminant adverse to human health (whether airborne or attached to aportion of the structure of insured property 300). Such environmentalreadings from one or more locations inside and/or outside the insuredproperty 300 could thus be recorded by device 103 and used by ananalysis model in various ways.Appliance Sensor—configured and operational to preferably detect variousoperating parameters relating to appliances within an insured property300. Examples of appliances include (but are not limited to) all kitchenappliances (e.g., refrigerator, freezer, stove, cooktop, oven, grill,dishwasher, etc.); HVAC components (air conditioner, heating system, airhandlers, humidifiers/de-humidifiers, etc.), water purification system,media entertainment system (e.g., televisions), networking components(routers, switches, extenders, etc.) electrical generator system, poolfiltration and heating system, garage door openers, sump pump and waterwell system, septic tank system, etc. An appliance sensor may comprisedetection hardware, or may employ one or more remote probes, which maybe located inside and/or outside the insured property 300 functional todetect certain operating parameters of appliances. Operating parametersdetected by an appliance sensor 300 may include (but are not limitedto): the operating efficiency of an appliance (energy usage, outputperformance); the time an appliance operates, the age of an appliance;maintenance needs of an appliance (e.g., change a filter component orschedule a periodic examination/tune-up); and repair needs of anappliance (which may also include the identification of parts needed).An example of this is with a dishwasher. It could be known that a modelof a dishwasher at insured property 300 should use X amount of water perminute when in use. If the washing machine's water use is higher orlower than it is supposed to be, device 103 will collect thisinformation and could send an alert to the owner or insurance company sothat mitigation action can take place. Such appliance readings from oneor more insured property appliances could thus be recorded by device 103and used by an analysis model in various ways.Image (camera) Sensor—configured and operational to obtain imageinformation regarding the interior, exterior, and contents of the 300 aswell as the property on which the structure is located. Examples ofimage sensors include (but are not limited to) visible light cameras,infrared cameras, two-dimensional (2D) cameras, three-dimensional (3D)cameras, thermal image cameras, radar-capable sensors, sensors thatdetect other wavelengths, and/or any combination thereof.

With exemplary sensors 102 identified and briefly described above, andas will be further discussed below, it is to be generally understoodsensors 102 preferably record certain data parameters relating toproducts and services provided by an insurance carrier, such as USAA, todetermine the status of home repairs/remodeling projects as describedbelow. It is to be understood and appreciated the aforementioned sensors102 may be configured as wired and wireless types integrated in anetworked environment (e.g., WAN, LAN, WiFi, 802.11 X, 3G, LTE, etc.),which may also have an associated IP address. It is to be furtherappreciated the sensors 102 may consist of internal sensors locatedwithin the structure of insured property 300; external sensors locatedexternal of the structure of insured property 300; sound sensors fordetecting ambient noise (e.g., for detecting termite and rodentactivity, glass breakage, intruders, etc.). It is additionally to beunderstood and appreciated that sensors 102 can be networked into acentral computer hub (e.g., device 103) in an insured property toaggregate collected sensor data packets. Aggregated data packets can beanalyzed in either an insured property computer system (e.g., device103) or via an external computer environment (e.g., server 106).Additionally, it is to be understood data packets collected from sensors102 can be aggregated in insured property computing device 103 and sentas an aggregated packet to server 106 for subsequent analysis wherebydata packets may be transmitted at prescribed time intervals (e.g., abenefit is to reduce cellular charges in that some insured properties300 may not have Internet access or cellular service is backup wheninsured property Internet service is nonfunctioning).

In accordance with an illustrated embodiment, in addition to theaforementioned, the sensors 102 being utilized relative to insuredproperty 300, insured property computing device 103 may additionally becoupled to a Clock 320 which may keep track of time for device 103,thereby allowing a given item of data to be associated with the time atwhich the data was captured. For example, device 103 may recurrentlydetect various environmental conditions relating to insured property300, recurrently capture images of various portions of the structure ofinsured property 300, etc., and may timestamp each reading and eachimage. The time at which the readings are taken may be used toreconstruct events or for other analytic purposes, such as thosedescribed below. For example, the environmental sensor may measure thepresence of mold/bacteria/algae/lead paint or any contaminant adverse tohuman health. The timestamps on air quality readings taken after arecent water incident may allow it to be determined how long does ittake for mold to grow after water damage occurs.

A storage component 322 may further be provided and utilized to storedata readings and/or timestamps in device 103. For example, storagecomponent 322 may comprise, or may otherwise make use of, magnetic oroptical disks, volatile random-access memory, non-volatile random-accessmemory, or any other type of storage device. There may be sufficientdata storage capacity to store several days or several weeks worth ofreadings. For example, the insured property 300 improvement projectmight last for a day, a week, or several weeks. Storage component 322might have sufficient storage capacity to allow daily images andreadings to be stored, thereby allowing forensic reconstruction of howthe repairs affected the insured property 300 during the full time thatthe insured property 300 was under reconstruction/remodeling.

A communication component 324 may further be provided and utilized tocommunicate recorded information from insured property computing device103 to an external location, such as computer server 106, which may beassociated with an insurance carrier such as USAA. Communicationcomponent 324 may be, or may comprise, a network communication card suchas an Ethernet card, a WiFi card, or any other communication mechanism.However, communication component 324 could take any form and is notlimited to these examples. Communication component 324 might encryptdata that it communicates, in order to protect the security and/orprivacy of the data. Communication component 324 may communicate datarecorded by device 103 (e.g., data stored in storage component 322) toan external location, such as server 106. For example, server 106 may beoperated by an insurance company, and may collect data from insuredproperty computing device 103 to learn about risks and repair needs andother analytics relative to structural improvement of insured property300 in which device 103 is located. Communication component 324 mayinitiate communication sessions with server 106. Or, as another example,server 106 may contact device 103, through communication component 324,in order to receive data that has been stored by device 103.Additionally, data from sensors 102, clock 320 and/or storage component322 may be communicated directly to server 106, via network 100, thusobviating or mitigating the need for insured property computing device103.

In the example of FIG. 3, communication component 324 (which is shown,in FIG. 3, as being part of, or used by, insured property computingdevice 103) communicates data to server 106. Server 106 may comprise, orotherwise may cooperate with, a data analysis module 304, which mayanalyze data in some manner. Data analysis module 304 may comprisevarious types of sub-modules, such as insured property analyzer 306. Ingeneral, insured property analyzer 306 may perform an analysis ofcollected data regarding various attributes of insured property 300,such as, for example, but not limited to, structural condition of theinsured property 300 and environmental conditions detected in thevicinity of the insured property 300. In various embodiments of thepresent invention, insured property analyzer 306 may perform a post hocanalysis, such as that used to understand the details of how an insuredproperty 300 was damaged or destroyed during a hurricane, a fire, etc.Moreover, insured property analyzer 306 may analyze data to assess therisk of damage related to an insured property improvement project,enhance loss mitigation for an insurance carrier (e.g., push data to oneor more third parties in real-time from insured property 300 formaximizing preventable losses), determine repair needs for insuredproperty 300, and the like.

FIG. 4 shows, in the form of a flow chart, exemplary operational stepsof the insured property analyzer 306. Before turning to description ofFIG. 4, it is noted that the flow diagram shown therein is described, byway of example, with reference to components shown in FIGS. 1-3,although these operational steps may be carried out in any system andare not limited to the scenario shown in the aforementioned figures.Additionally, the flow diagram in FIG. 4 shows an example in whichoperational steps are carried out in a particular order, as indicated bythe lines connecting the blocks, but the various steps shown in thesediagrams can be performed in any order, or in any combination orsub-combination.

In an embodiment of the present invention, exemplary operational stepsdescribed below may be carried out by the insured property analyzer 306in order to monitor the progress of a insured property improvementproject based on captured informatics sensor data. It is noted that theinsured property improvement project may comprise insured propertyrepairs relating to damage associated with a portion of the insuredproperty, such as a roof, windows, chimney, and the like. In addition,the insured property improvement project may comprise a remodelingproject (i.e., replacing exterior siding, replacing an entry door,extending the heating and air conditioning, improving wiring andlighting, and the like) associated with the insured property 300.

With reference to FIG. 4, at 402, insured property analyzer 306preferably receives specifications related to the insured propertyimprovement project, for example, from computing device 103. In anembodiment of the present invention, the specifications document mayinclude one or more requirements related to the insured propertyimprovement project. These requirements may identify, for instance,insured property modification needs, insured property maintenance needs,insured property repair needs, and the like, insured propertymodifications needs may include minor or major modifications to anyportion of the insured property 300 to improve safety, accessibility,structural integrity, overall condition, appearance, and/or the qualityof life. Insured property modifications may include, but are not limitedto, replacing door handles or faucets, installing carpeting, modifyingsinks or cabinets, and the like. Another example of this could be that acombustible material is too close to a heating source and has a risk ofstarting a fire. Insured property maintenance may include, but is notlimited to, changing furnace and/or air conditioner filters andreplacing appliances, such as air conditioners, garbage disposals,washers and dryers. Insured property repair needs can include, but arenot limited to, repairing stairs, roofs, railings, and the like. Theaforementioned specifications may further include information indicativeof a degree of damage associated with the insured property 300, repairoperating procedures, and the cost of the required services, such asmaterial and installation expenses.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the specifications mayinclude information related to an insurance policy associated with theinsured property 300. If a specific insurance policy is identified,insured property analyzer 306 may retrieve more detailed informationfrom one or more data storage devices (not shown in FIG. 3), which maybe communicatively coupled to server 106 operated by an insurancecompany, insured property analyzer 306 may utilize the retrieved data todetermine which of the repair/modification needs listed in thespecifications document will be covered by the corresponding insurancepolicy. It is to be appreciated an insurance company may also includeinformation related to an insurance policy associated with the insuredproperty 300 to determine if the insurance company desires to make theinsured property modification needs, insured property maintenance needs,insured property repair needs, and the like conditions for whether itwants to provide insurance to the insured, whether it wants to continueto provide insurance to the insured, or whether it wants to make themodification/maintenance/repair needs a condition for renewal or newissue of the policy at the insured property 300 or other underwriting orpricing decisions.

At 404, insured property analyzer 306 preferably collects data fromsensors 102. In an embodiment of the present invention, this step mayinvolve computing device 103 periodically contacting (via network 100),at prescribed time intervals, data analyzer component 304 running onserver 106 to send accumulated data. In an alternative embodiment,contact between the insured property computing device 103 and insuredproperty analyzer 306 may be initiated when the insured propertyanalyzer 306 contacts the insured property computing device 103.Following the initial contact, insured property analyzer 306 may receivedata from the insured property computing device 103. It is to beunderstood data packets collected from sensors 102 can be aggregated ininsured property computing device 103 and send as an aggregated packetto insured property analyzer 306 for subsequent analysis.

In addition, at 404, insured property analyzer 306 preferably processesthe informatics data collected by a plurality of sensors 102 to assessvarious conditions indicative of a status of the insured propertyimprovement project. In various embodiments of the present invention,the plurality of sensors 102 measuring and/or collecting informaticsdata may include one or more of image sensors, structural sensors,temperature sensors, humidity sensors, environmental sensors, and so on.As previously indicated, upon the insured property improvement projectcommencement, insured property analyzer 306 may conduct a daily analysisto monitor progress and/or to verify compliance with the projectspecifications, as described below.

In another non-limiting embodiment, sensors can determine if recoverabledepreciation in a claim for a covered loss can be provided to theinsured. An example of how this could occur is a sensor 102 can sendnotification to insured property analyzer 306 the insured has replaced,repaired or maintained an item in question with like kind and quality oritem(s) of similar quality and usefulness. When this happens, theinsurance company is notified and can provide the insured recoverabledepreciation.

At 406, insured property analyzer 306 preferably identifies the mostrecent repairs/modifications based on the latest informatics data. In anembodiment of the present invention, insured property analyzer 306 mayperiodically take images (snapshots) of one or more portions of theinsured property 300 requiring repairs, modifications, and the like. Forexample, insured property analyzer 306 may determine whether an entrydoor has been replaced by comparing the latest snapshot capturing anentry door with respective older snapshots. As another non-limitingexample, this step may further involve monitoring structural conditionof the insured property 300. For instance, insured property analyzer 306may identify one or more structural changes by analyzing the conditionof the wall structure, floor structure, ceiling structure and roofstructure of the insured property 300. In one implementation, insuredproperty analyzer 306 may perform this identification by comparinglatest measurements of the slope of a floor/wall/ceiling with previouslytaken measurements. It is to be appreciated, this information can beused to assist in claims settlement after a claim in regards torecoverable depreciation in a claim for a covered loss.

It is to be understood an insurance company can use the information frominsured property analyzer 306 for whether the insured is or has madechanges or updates to the insured property 300 and use this informationfor things like underwriting acceptability, pricing, and as a conditionfor renewal of the policy.

At 408, insured property analyzer 306 may determine whether the one ormore identified changes related to the one or more conditions associatedwith the insured property improvement project satisfy one or morepredefined requirements. In other words, in this step insured propertyanalyzer 306 may determine whether the performed repairs/modificationsmeet the requirements included in the specification document (receivedat 402). For example, insured property analyzer 306 may determinewhether appropriate materials were used to perform repairs. In anotherexample, if one of the requirements listed in the specificationsnecessitated a repair of a broken window, insured property analyzer 306may determine whether the broken window has been replaced. As mentionedabove, this could assist to determine if recoverable depreciation in aclaim for a covered loss can be provided to the insured.

In response to determining that the performed repairs/modificationscomply with the requirements (step 408, yes branch), at 410, insuredproperty analyzer 306 preferably checks other portions of the insuredproperty 300 (including utility systems) within the insured property 300that may have been affected by the performed repairs/modifications. Theutility systems, may include, but are not limited to, electrical wiring,plumbing, heating, ventilation, and the like. For instance, if insuredproperty analyzer 306 determines that one of the plumbing appliances wasrecently replaced, insured property analyzer 306 may measure and/orrecord the amount of water pressure present in the insured property's300 water supply system and/or any changes in that pressure. In someinsured properties 300 plumbing systems may be designed to withstand acertain amount of pressure, and if the pressure rises above that amount,the plumbing system may be at risk for leaking, bursting, or otherfailure. Thus, at 410, insured property analyzer 306 may verify thatperformed repairs will not cause future damage to the insured property300. Similarly, if any of the kitchen appliances have been replacedduring the insured property improvement project, insured propertyanalyzer 306 may assess the condition of the insured property'selectrical system. Electrical system readings could be used to determineif the voltage is persistently too high, or too low, or if the voltagefrequently drops and/or spikes. Such conditions may suggest that theinsured property 300 is at risk for fire.

It is to also be appreciated an insurance company can use theinformation from insured property analyzer 306 for whether the insuredis or has made changes or updates to the insured property 300 and usethis information for things like underwriting acceptability, pricing,and as a condition for renewal of the policy.

If the assessment performed at 410 detects any additional problems (step412, yes branch), insured property analyzer 306 may determine next (at413) whether the detected issues are covered by the insurance policyassociated with the insured property 300. This step may further involvedetermining whether the detected issues require immediate repairs and/ortemporary repairs to mitigate or prevent further damage to the insuredproperty 300. If so, insured property analyzer 306 may provide acorresponding notification, at 416, as described below. According to anembodiment of the present invention, insured property analyzer 306preferably amends the specification document related to the insuredproperty improvement project to include newly identified repairrequirements if the repairs are covered by the corresponding insurancepolicy.

In response to detecting no additional problems/issues (step 412, nobranch), at 414, insured property analyzer 306 may determine nextwhether the insured property improvement project has been completed. Inan embodiment of the present invention, insured property analyzer 306may verify that all requirements included in the specification have beensatisfied. If the insured property improvement project has not beencompleted (step 414, no branch), insured property analyzer 306 mayreturn back to step 404 in order to receive and process next set ofcollected informatics data after a set period of time. In response todetermining that the insured property improvement project has beencompleted (step 414, yes branch), insured property analyzer 306 mayprovide a corresponding status notification.

As mentioned above, at 416, insured property analyzer 306 preferablyprovides a notification indicating a status of the insured propertyimprovement project based on captured informatics sensor data. It is tobe appreciated that insured property analyzer 306 may be configured toelectronically deliver all notifications. The notification can beanything that advises a policy holder, device, or computer system of thecurrent status of the insured property improvement project, includingbut not limited to, a display of text on a local display screen, amessage in an email sent to a local or remote computer, a text message,a communication to a remote computer system. It is to be also understoodand appreciated that insured property analyzer 306 may be configured andoperational to integrate with policy holder's communicative computingdevices (e.g., smart phones (via an app), computers, tablets, smartTV's, vehicle communication systems, kitchen communication systems,etc.) for sending such notifications regarding insured propertyrepairs/modifications. In an embodiment of the present invention, ifinsured property analyzer 306 determines that performed repairs do notcomply with the requirements (step 408, no branch), the generatednotification may indicate that one or more requirement has not beensatisfied by the repairs. If insured property analyzer 306 detects anyissues/damage that may have been caused by the performedrepairs/modifications (step 412, no branch), the generated notificationmay identify the detected problems and may further indicate whethersuggested repairs are covered by the insurance policy associated withthe insured property 300. If at step 414 (yes branch) insured propertyanalyzer 306 determines that the improvement project has been completed,the notification generated at 416 may include a status indicative of thesuccessful completion of the project. In various embodiments, thenotification generated by insured property analyzer 306 may include oneor more images of one or more portions of the insured property 300. Asmentioned above, the information collected by the insured propertyanalyzer 306 can determine whether the repairs to the insured property300 were made and can determine if recoverable depreciation in a claimfor a covered loss can be provided to the insured.

With certain illustrated embodiments described above, it is to beappreciated that various non-limiting embodiments described herein maybe used separately, combined or selectively combined for specificapplications. Further, some of the various features of the abovenon-limiting embodiments may be used without the corresponding use ofother described features. The foregoing description should therefore beconsidered as merely illustrative of the principles, teachings andexemplary embodiments of this invention, and not in limitation thereof.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are onlyillustrative of the application of the principles of the illustratedembodiments. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope ofthe illustrated embodiments, and the appended claims are intended tocover such modifications and arrangements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a computer server coupledto a communication device via a network, and programmed to: receivemodification specification data indicative of modifications to be madeto a property; receive first sensor data from a potentiometer of aplurality of sensor devices that is configured to detect voltagemeasurements of an electrical system of the property, wherein the firstsensor data is indicative of a first voltage measurement data associatedwith the electrical system of the property, wherein the plurality ofsensor devices comprise one or more of the following detection sensordevices: water; structural; camera; and the potentiometer; identify,from the first voltage measurement data, a first number of voltagedrops, spikes, or both; receive second sensor data from thepotentiometer of the plurality of sensor devices indicative of a secondvoltage measurement data associated with the electrical system of theproperty; identify, from the second voltage measurement data, a secondnumber of voltage drops, spikes, or both; perform a determination as towhether modifications were made to the property in accordance with themodification specification data by: comparing the first number ofvoltage drops, spikes, or both to the second number of voltage drops,spikes, or both to determine a change in the number of voltage drops,spikes, or both; and determining whether the change in the number ofvoltage drops, spikes, or both satisfies the modification specificationdata; and transmit an electronic notification to a computing deviceassociated with the property indicating whether the modifications weremade to the property in accordance with the modification specificationdata, based on the determination.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thecomputer server is programmed to: determine if recoverable depreciationregarding an insurance claim can be provided based upon thedetermination.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the-plurality of sensordevices are each configured to capture a different attribute of theproperty, each sensor device having a transmitter with an associatedInternet Protocol (IP) address coupled to a wireless network fortransmitting a corresponding attribute.
 4. The system of claim 1,wherein the received modification specification data relates to propertyrepairs associated with damage to the property.
 5. The system as recitedin claim 1, wherein the computer server is further programmed todetermine a material used in connection with the modifications made tothe property.
 6. The system of claim 1, comprising: a data storagecomponent wirelessly coupled to each of the plurality of sensor devicesvia a transmitter for each of the sensor devices wherein the datastorage component is configured to aggregate captured data regardingdifferent attributes of the property received from each of the sensordevices for provision to the computer server.
 7. The system of claim 6,comprising: a communication component coupled to the data storagecomponent configured to encrypt and transmit the captured data via anetwork.
 8. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium,comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one ormore processors of a computer, cause the computer to: receivemodification specification data indicative of modifications to be madeto a property; receive first sensor data from a potentiometer of aplurality of sensor devices configured to detect voltage measurements ofan electrical system of the property, wherein the first sensor data isindicative of a first voltage measurement data associated with theelectrical system of the property, wherein the plurality of sensordevices comprise one or more of the following detection sensor devices:water; structural; camera; and the potentiometer; identify, from thefirst voltage measurement data, a first number of voltage drops, spikes,or both; receive second sensor data from the potentiometer of theplurality of sensor devices indicative of a second voltage measurementdata associated with the electrical system of the property; identify,from the second voltage measurement data, a second number of voltagedrops, spikes, or both; perform a determination as to whethermodifications were made to the property in accordance with themodification specification data by: comparing the first number ofvoltage drops, spikes, or both to the second number of voltage drops,spikes, or both to determine a change in the number of voltage drops,spikes, or both; and determining whether the change in the number ofvoltage drops, spikes, or both satisfies the modification specificationdata; and transmit an electronic notification to a computing deviceassociated with the property indicating whether the modifications weremade to the property in accordance with the modification specificationdata, based on the determination.
 9. The computer-readable medium ofclaim 8 comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed bythe one or more processors, cause the computer to: determine ifrecoverable depreciation regarding an insurance claim can be providedbased upon the determination.
 10. The computer-readable medium of claim8, comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by theone or more processors, cause the computer to: receive the first sensordata, the second sensor data or both, sourced from the plurality ofsensor devices, each sensor device having a transmitter with anassociated Internet Protocol (IP) address coupled to a wireless networkfor transmitting a corresponding attribute.
 11. The computer-readablemedium of claim 8, wherein the received modification specification datarelates to property repairs associated with damage to the property. 12.The computer-readable medium of claim 8, comprising computer-readableinstructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causethe computer to: determine a material used in connection with themodifications made to the property.
 13. A computer-implemented method,comprising: receiving modification specification data indicative ofmodifications to be made to a property; receiving first sensor data froma potentiometer of a plurality of sensor devices configured to detectvoltage measurements of an electrical system of the property, whereinthe first sensor data comprises an indication that is indicative of afirst voltage measurement data associated with the electrical system ofthe property, wherein the plurality of sensor devices comprise one ormore of the following detection sensor devices: water; structural;camera; and the potentiometer; identifying, from the first voltagemeasurement data, a first number of voltage drops, spikes, or both;receiving second sensor data from the potentiometer of the plurality ofsensor devices indicative of a second voltage measurement dataassociated with the electrical system of the property; identifying, fromthe second voltage measurement data, a second number of voltage drops,spikes, or both; performing a determination as to whether modificationswere made to the property in accordance with the modificationspecification data by: comparing the first number of voltage drops,spikes, or both to the second number of voltage drops, spikes, or bothto determine a change in the number of voltage drops, spikes, or both;and determining whether the change in the number of voltage drops,spikes, or both satisfies the modification specification data; andtransmitting an electronic notification to a computing device associatedwith the property indicating whether the modifications were made to theproperty in accordance with the modification specification data, basedon the determination.
 14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13,comprising: determining if recoverable depreciation regarding aninsurance claim can be provided based upon the determination.
 15. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 13, comprising: determining amaterial used in connection with the modifications made to the property.